Combination package



June 7, 1960 A. L. CUNNIEN COMBINATION PACKAGE Filed March 12, 1959 COMBINATIONPACKAGEfl a r Arthur L. Cunnien, St. Paul Minm, asslgnorto Tlie Gillette Company, Boston, Mass, a corporation of Delaware p I 1 Filed Mar. 12, 1959, Bar. lfIo. 799,039 6 Claims. (Cl. 206+" This invention relates to merchandising and morepar nited States Pat n ticularly to a pilfer-proofpackaging combination of an elongated type of premium or other article with a holding band adapted to encompass a bottle, can, or other article of merchandise for sale. 1

It is common in merchandising to combine premium gifts with merchandise to be sold as a means for attracting customers. In many instances, the premium com prises combs, brushes, or similar articles. Such premiums present attraction to shoplifters who are tempted to pilfer the premium while seemingly casually inspecting themerchandise. can be'discouraged if the premium is:fastened securely to the merchandise which it accompanies. Many packaging combinations are known, but all have certain disadvantages for the purposes here involved. a

It has been "found that many of such' thefts Many of these packaging methods involve straps or formed cardboard containers-which are expensive due to many forming operations involved. Other such types of packages require complex assembly steps for preparing the package combination for market. It is readily understood that tbes'e all are unsatisfactory for packaging premium gifts with products which are mass produced and packaged, which themselves have little value. A simple pilfer-proof package is needed.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to produce a pilfer-proof package including a premium such as a comb or brush characterized by having an elongated portion, which is cheap to manufacture, easy to attach to the article for sale and which offers a substantial resistance to pilfering. I

Other objects of this invention will appear hereinafter. The objects of this invention are realized by providing a rather wide band fitted to closely surround a container or other article for sale. The band is fabricated of a rather stiff resilient material such as cardboard or paper board which can readily be bent or bowed to fit the article but which has sufficient stiffness and body to retain the premium securely. The band is provided with both an aperture and a tab 'for cooperating with a slot in the elongated portion of the premium to form a twisted lock.

The invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. l is an isometric view of a preferred embodiment of the package of this invention combined with a bottle;

Fig. 2 is an isometric view of a portion of the elongated premium of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an isometric view of the band of Fig. l in collapsed or flattened position;

Fig. 4 illustrates one stage of the assembly of the package of this invention, partly broken away;

Fig. 5 illustrates the package of Fig. 4, partly broken away, with assemblage complete, ready to be combined with an article of merchandise for sale;

Fig. 6 is a view in cross-section, taken along line 6-6 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a view in cross-section taken along line 7--7 of Fig. 5;

: Patented J ine 7,

ICC.

2 Fig. 8 is a viewin cross-section, taken of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 9 is a view in cross-section taken along line 9-9 of Fig. 1. i 1 Referring nowto theenibodiment of the drawings a band 2 is provided with an aperture 4. The band is preferably of cardboard and the aperture is formed, for instance by striking the band with a die. An inwardly extending tab 12 is similarly formed from the material of the band at a position spaced apart from the aperture and directly below it as shown in the figures. The tab extends substantially transversely to a line drawn between the tab base and the aperture 4. It isfessential that this tab 12 be of such material and such dimensions as to provide a substantial resistance to movement of the tab in thedirection of this line, with respect to the band, a variety of grades of cardboard being satisfactory. The premium 20 with which the band cooperates to form the package is provided with an elongated portion 22. In this elongatedportion a slot 30 is provided extending parallel with the longitudinal axis of the elongated por tion 22.

The premium and the band are assembled as follows. The elongated portion 22 of the premium is inserted as in Figs. 4 and 6 from without, through the aperture 4 so as to extend within the band. The elongated portion 22 is directed downwardly and is aligned with the tab 12. The'tab is caused to protrude into the slot 30. Thereafter, thepremium is twisted as the arrow indicates in Fig. 4 locking the tab with the premium as shown in Figs. 5 and 7. The combination is now ready for the insertion of an artiele into'the band. As illustrated'in Figs. 1 and 8, the band is adapted to fit tightly around a bottle 40 and the elongated portion 22 is positioned so as to be wedged between the bottle and the band. When the bottle 40 is inserted, the package is ready for display. Any potential shoplifter seeing the premium such as a comb and desiring to obtain it may grasp the upper extending portion thereof and attempt to lift it quickly from the bottle so as not to be detected. He will find with the instant invention, however, that removal of the desired object is restrained by the tab which does not readily separate from the band which is strengthened against bending by its twisted nature. Stealthy tilting of the premium from side to side will be of no avail due to the locking of the premium to the band attributable to the twisted nature of the tab. Discreet amounts of twisting will likewise not free the premium. The would-be thiefs desires will thus be frustrated unless he has more of an opportunity for shoplifting which would, of course, probably afford him the chance to take the bottle as well, instead of merely the premium.

In a preferred embodiment of this invention the premium has a protrusion 50 having a transverse oblong crosssectional shape and the combination of band and premium alongline is adapted so that one ofthe broader sides of the protrusion portion will be held tightly adjacent the bottle 40. Twisting of the premium with respect to the tab in an unwinding direction is thus inhibited, for to thus turn the premium counter-clockwise as viewed from the top of the bottle, the resistance of the matching surface of the bottle or the hand holding the premium tightly against the article would have to be overcome.

It will be understood that although in the embodiment shown and described the invention has been employed for securing a premium in the form of a rat-tailed comb to a bottle, it may also be employed for securing any elongated article of relatively small cross section to a second larger article of any shape adapted to be engaged 3 H by a sleeve, whether it be of circular, rectangularor other cross-sectional shape.

The foregoing description of preferred embodiments is illustrative of the concept of this invention. Other embodiments can be made within the scope of the invention, obtaining the advantages of the invention herein d r b d- .4; t

What is claimed is: I 1 l. A package for attachment to an article for sale comprising a band adapted to conform to and tightly surround the article for sale combined with a second article characterized by having a free-ended elongated portion, the band having an aperture through which the elongated portion of the second article extends inside the perimeter of thexband and a spaced apart tab base from which a tab extends transversely to a line between said aperture and saidtab base, the elongated portion having a slot into which the tahextends, and the elongated portion being twisted substantially about its longitudinal axis, subsequent to the insertion of the tab, to lock the tab to the elongated portion. y e

2. The package of claim 1 wherein a part of the second article has a transverse protrusion adapted to be held tightly adjacent a surface of the article to be surrounded, preventing twisting of the elongated portion of the premium at least in one direction, and the elongated portion of the premium being twisted with respect to the tab so that unwinding will occur only in rotation in the direction in which movement is to be restrained by the protrusion. 3. A package comprising a cardboard band adapted to tightly surround a bottle or can, and a second article having a free-ended elongated portion, said band having an aperture, adapted to receive the elongated portion of the premium, the elongated portion being inserted in the aperture and extending from the aperture inside the band in a direction parallel with the axis of the band, the elongated portion having a transverse cross-section much smaller than that of the circular band when distended, a tab extending from the cardboard band transversely to the thus inserted elongated portion of the premium at a position axially aligned with and spaced from said aperture, said elongated portion extending from the aperture beyond the tab and having a slot therein into which the tab is inserted, the elongated portion being rotated about its own axis so as to roll up the tab.

' 4. The' package of claim 3 wherein the tab extends from a tab base'parallel to the longitudinal axis of the elongated portion, and the slot is parallel with the same axis.

5. The package of claim 3 wherein at a point on the elongated portion of the premium spaced from its free end a protrusion extends, adapted to contact a surface of an inserted bottle or can so as to prevent loosening twisting.

6. A package comprising a first article of relatively large cross-section, a second article having a free-ended elongated portion of relatively small cross-section, and a band adapted to conform to and tightly surround both said articles in side-by-side relation, the band having an aperture through which the elongated portion of the second article extends inside the perimeter of the band and having a tab spaced from and aligned with said aperture from which base a tab extends transversely to a line between said aperture and said base, said elongated portion having a slot into which the tab extends, and the elongated portion being twisted substantially about its longitudinal axis, subsequent to insertion of the tab, to lock the tab to the elongated portion with bothsaid articles held tightly together.

N 0 references cited. 

